Designing a Model for Entrepreneurial Culture in Elementary Schools
Keywords:
Culture, Entrepreneurial Culture, Elementary SchoolsAbstract
The present study aimed to design a comprehensive model for developing entrepreneurial culture in elementary schools by identifying key dimensions, components, and strategies for institutionalizing entrepreneurial skills and mindsets among students. This applied qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews with 12 experts, including entrepreneurship education specialists, elementary school educators, and university faculty members. Purposeful sampling was conducted until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis through open, axial, and selective coding procedures. MAXQDA 2020 software supported data analysis. Content validity was confirmed through expert review and Lincoln and Guba’s criteria, while reliability was verified using Holsti’s coefficient exceeding 0.9. The findings indicated that entrepreneurial culture development in elementary schools is structured around four core dimensions: the educational–pedagogical dimension (curriculum integration, experiential learning, problem-based education, and technology utilization); the human resources dimension (teacher empowerment and entrepreneurial leadership of school administrators); the socio-cultural dimension (localization of programs, parental engagement, collaboration with entrepreneurs, and school-wide cultural alignment); and the structural–supportive dimension (supportive ecosystem formation, flexible learning environments, policy backing, and process-oriented evaluation). The interaction among these dimensions demonstrates that entrepreneurial culture formation is a systemic and multi-level developmental process. The study concludes that establishing entrepreneurial culture in elementary education requires an integrated approach involving curriculum reform, professional development of educators, stakeholder participation, and supportive institutional infrastructures, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative, responsible, and future-ready generations capable of addressing evolving socio-economic challenges.
Downloads
References
Al-Lawati, E. H., Abdul Kohar, U. H., & Shahrin Suleiman, E. (2022). Entrepreneurial culture in educational institutions: A scoping review. Cogent Business & Management, 9(1), 1997237-1997237. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1997237
Alidoust Qahfarakhi, I., Shoja, H., & Dehghan Qahfarakhi, A. (2023). Modeling the Relationship Between Entrepreneurial Culture, Creativity, and Innovation in Physical Education and Sports Students at Tehran Universities. The 2nd International Congress on Management, Economics, Humanities, and Business Development,
Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. (2021). Corbin's Principles of Qualitative Research, Methods, and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Andisheh Rafi Press, Tehran. https://books.google.com/books/about/Basics_of_Qualitative_Research.html?id=hZ6kBQAAQBAJ
Esmaeili, E. (2022). The role of culture in entrepreneurship education and promotion. National Conference on Management and Entrepreneurship in the School of Martyr Haj Qassem Soleimani, 0-0. https://sid.ir/paper/1065228/fa
Facchini, F., Jaeck, L., & Bouhaddioui, C. (2021). Culture and entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 12(3), 1245-1269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-020-00663-z
Filipova, M., & Atanasova, A. (2025). Forming Entrepreneurial Culture Through Education. Strategies for Policy in Science and Education-Strategii Na Obrazovatelnata I Nauchnata Politika, 33(3), 297-311. https://doi.org/10.53656/str2025-3-2-for
Ghazali, S. S., Krauss, S. E., & Abdul, S. (2022). Unveiling The Journey: From Entrepreneurial Leadership to The Emergence of Entrepreneurial Culture in Malaysian Schools. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(5), 0-0. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i5/21567
Harji, M. B., & Balakrishnan, K. (2019). Spire project: Beyond the reading vocabulary. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 35(2), 465-484. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-12-9-1
Hassan, Z., Lashari, M. K., & Basit, A. (2021). Cultivating entrepreneurial culture among students in Malaysia. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 9(1), 119-135. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2021.090108
Hercz, M., Pozsonyi, F., & Takács, N. (2019). Parental thinking, beliefs and values: Establishing entrepreneurial skills in the family. Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, 10(2), 129-141. https://doi.org/10.2478/dcse-2019-0023
Issoufou, C. (2019). Creation of young entrepreneurs as resources of economic development and alleviation of poverty in muslim countries: An Islamic approach. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 7(5), 1060-1064. https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2019.75141
Jardim, J., Bártolo, A., & Pinho, A. (2021). Towards a global entrepreneurial culture: A systematic review of the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs. Education Sciences, 11(8), 398-398. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080398
Javdan, M. (2021). Designing and developing a model for strengthening entrepreneurial spirit and culture among first and second secondary school students. Psychological Achievements, 28(1), 197-214. https://doi.org/10.22055/psy.2021.31025.2409
Kozlinska, I., Mets, T., & Rõigas, K. (2020). Measuring learning outcomes of entrepreneurship education using structural equation modeling. Administrative Sciences, 10(3), 58-58. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030058
Lackéus, M. (2020). Comparing the impact of three different experiential approaches to entrepreneurship in education. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 26(5), 937-971. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-04-2018-0236
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (2020). Naturalistic inquiry in the digital age. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Marini, A., von Luebke, C., Maksum, A., Zahari, M., Safitri, D., Lestari, I., & Sudrajat, A. (2022). Entrepreneurship Education Model for Higher Education Students. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 97, 0-0. https://ejer.com.tr/manuscript/index.php/journal/article/view/614
Msawenkosi Thabethe, M., Kosa Chebo, A., & Dhliwayo, S. (2024). The influence of entrepreneurial culture, management support and work discretion on innovation: examining the conditional role of organizational tolerance and positional-level. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2315692
Nguyen, H. T. N., Nguyen, H. T. T., Truong, A. T. L., Nguyen, T. T. P., & Nguyen, A. V. (2023). Entrepreneurial culture and innovative work behaviour: The mediating effect of psychological empowerment. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 15(2), 254-277. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-04-2021-0132
Sadeghi, Z., & Shafie Pour Motlagh, F. (2025). Designing a Model for Empowering Managers of Entrepreneurial Schools Utilizing Artificial Intelligence. Entrepreneurship Education and Management, 4(1), 71-92. https://eme.razi.ac.ir/article_3673.html
Sariningsih, Y., Purwanti, Y., Almujab, S., Dinihayati, E., & Erik, E. (2024). The Model of Business Management and Entrepreneurial Culture in Achieving Economic Empowerment and Its Implications for the Performance of KUBE in West Java Indonesia. CEMJP, 32(1), 21-39. http://repository.unpas.ac.id/69080/
Schindler, J., Kallmuenzer, A., & Valeri, M. (2024). Entrepreneurial culture and disruptive innovation in established firms-how to handle ambidexterity. Business Process Management Journal, 30(2), 366-387. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-02-2023-0117
Sun, J., Sarker, M. N. I., & Yi, F. (2025). Synergizing Professional and Entrepreneurship Education in Chinese Private Colleges: A Grounded Theory Approach. Sage Open, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251367513
Widodo, W., Baswedan, A. R., Suyata, P., & Saputra, W. N. E. (2025). Entrepreneurship Education in Vocational Schools: An Indonesian Model. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (Ijere), 14(1), 373. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v14i1.32317
Winarno, A., Aini, D. N., Fuad, M., & Salleh, N. H. M. (2025). The Relationship of Entrepreneurial Education, Social Institutions and Business Experience to the Growth of Small and Medium Industries (Malang Regency Case, Indonesia). JLSDGR, 5(5), e06432. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730x.sdgsreview.v5.n05.pe06432
Wulandari, O. A. D., & Apriani, D. (2023). Sustainable Institutional Entrepreneurial Culture and Innovation For Economic Growth. APTISI Transactions on Management, 7(3), 221-230. https://doi.org/10.33050/atm.v7i3.2127
Yasmeen, T. (2025). Perspective Chapter: The Role of Educational Leadership in Promoting Entrepreneurship Education in Higher Education – Evidence From Pakistan. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1012846
